The upheaval of community,
a powerful emotional
experience, is one that
dramatically affected several
harbour villages in
Newfoundland particularly
between 1965 and 1975 when
the fishing industry was in
decline. At the time, the
federal and provincial

governments instituted a
policy of offering families
money to relocate in the hope
of providing them with better
economic opportunities. The
controversial resettlement
initiative saw 20,000 people
move from their homes.
Three towns resisted—
Monkstown, Petite Forte and

South East Bight—and they
remain as strong now as they
were years ago. But those who
did leave, especially those
from the Placentia West
region which bore the brunt,
feel the impact of the
intervention on
Newfoundland's rich heritage
to this day. Some believe

that eventually they would
have left on their own and
that the move was beneficial.
Others felt it was a body
blow to their traditional way
of life. But whatever their
opinion, and no matter how
much bigger their new homes
may be, in their hearts there
is still no place like the